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Getting Started With Your Brand New Projet x60 Series 3D Printer

By Anna Liza Montenegro | 3D Printing

So you’ve just bought a new Projet x60 Series 3D Printer? Now what? Before you start printing models for your projects I would recommend printing a few sample models to get a better idea of the workflow needed to efficiently operate your new 3D printer. You should practice sending print jobs, then extracting, de-powdering and infiltrating the 3D printed models. Going through this 3D print process is a good idea since the Projet x60 series printers uses Visjet PXL Core (powder) as its build material and supports, so when a build is finished you will need to dig out your model using the vacuum and cleaning station, if you are not careful you can easily damage your model while vacuuming and brushing the powder off your model. I would say it is very similar to how an archaeologist would dig up artifacts or fossils, they need to carefully remove the fossil from the earth and clean off any excess material of the fossil .

After you are done removing your model make sure to follow the cleaning and maintenance procedures from the Projet x60 Pro user manual so that it is ready for the next build. All you have to do now is find some sample models to practice with and you should be ready to print 3D models. It is best to make cleaning the printer after every build a standard practice to avoid any future issues with the printer.

There are many sites online that you can download and print 3D models from and since you just bought a Projet x60 series 3D printer, I would recommend going to the 3DS Central website and downloading some samples from their parts library. They have models from all industries and I have chosen a few of the best AEC models that I recommend printing to fine tune and practice your 3D printing workflow.

The first is the Sauna House, it is a great looking exterior of a small house and uses color very well to highlight the details of the house’s exterior design.

3D Systems Part Library - Sauna House Exterior
3D Systems Part Library – Sauna House

The next model I recommend is a favorite to our MEP clients of the AEC industry, it is the Shinryo Team S Plant model. Each pipe is uniquely colored to help distinguish where it connects to, making it easier to trace the pipes. Models don’t need to be printed in monochrome anymore, with the Projet 660 you can print highly detailed color models that can highlight specific parts or the whole model itself.

3D Systems Part Library - Shinryo Team S Plant - MEP Model
3D Systems Part Library – Shinryo Team S Plant

The last model I recommend printing is the Jupiter 2 from the Lost in Space TV series. Other than being a space ship, it is a great challenge model to practice removing larger builds with many small and intricate details as well as good practice for any multi piece interior design models you may need to print.

3D Systems Part Library - Jupiter 2 Cut Away
3D Systems Part Library – Jupiter 2 – Cut Away Interior

Of course you don’t have to print what I recommended here or from the internet, you will probably have your own files where you want to test out the color, tolerances, etc. As long as you have gone through printing a few models before you get into full production you shouldn’t have any issues using the printer and you know what they say practice makes perfect ;). Printing samples will also help burn in your new Projet x60 series printer and help point out if there are any issues that need to be resolved or if any re-calibration needs to be done, of course this is the exception and most new Projet x60 series printers will not have any issues with them. But it is better to have the peace of mind of knowing everything is working properly before you start printing models for your projects. If you do run into issues, don’t hesitate to call or email us.

Stay tuned to our blog for more information on ordering consumables for your Projet x60 series 3D printer and more new user information.

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Published on November 20, 2015 in 3D Printing.

About the Author

Marketing Director in New York via San Francisco and Manila. Anna Liza is a trained architect and inspired by technology. A fan of traveling, slow food movement, and summers in Maine with her kids. She has been with Microsol since 2004.

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